SRA to press ahead with launch of SQE in autumn 2021
The Covid-19 crisis will not stop the introduction of the Solicitors Qualifying Exam in September 2021, the Solicitors Regulation Authority has said as it published the exam’s final design.
Publishing data could counter “gender brief gap”
Solicitors and barristers should publish data on which advocates are instructed in certain criminal cases as a way to counter the “gender brief gap”, a QC has suggested.
Barrister sanctioned for shouting and pulling faces at judge
A senior junior barrister has been reprimanded and fined £1,000 for her “rude and unprofessional” behaviour in court, including shouting and pulling faces at a judge.
Legal Ombudsman set for major leadership shake-up
The Legal Ombudsman is set for a major leadership shake-up in the wake of its recent budget debacle and following the decision of the chief ombudsman to leave.
Judge: Investor who lost pension was not law firm’s client
A man who lost his pension after investing in self-storage pods with disastrous results was not the client of the law firm who advised on it, a judge has held.
New contracts firm puts paralegals in pole position
Two young paralegals have launched an unregulated legal contracts business which provides fixed-price services for mainly online businesses in the UK, the USA and Europe.
More funding for platform that “lets lawyers express themselves visually”
A start-up created by an ex-City lawyer to help lawyers and clients visualise complex legal structures and transactions is in a new funding round having already raised £2m.
Black lawyers launch initiative to fight racial injustice
A group of lawyers has begun crowdfunding to support a new initiative aiming to combat racial injustice by facilitating access to justice, funding and legal representation.
Covid-19 impact: Firms “desperately need” new instructions
Some law firms suffered “serious falls” in revenue during May and, without a pick-up in new instructions in June and July, “the pain may become unbearable”, new research has warned.
Remote hearings “can deal with credibility issues”
People should not presume that remote hearings cannot be used for cases where the credibility of witnesses is at stake, the IT adviser to the Lord Chief Justice has said.
